IT’S been a good fortnight for the Tamworth Little Athletics Club with several of its members running, throwing and jumping their way to state, and in Nick Price’s case, national, championships.
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Price won gold in the hammer throw at the NSW Junior Athletics Championships recently.
The 15-year-old threw 46.87m to win the U16s event and qualify for the next month’s Australian Junior Championships.
They’ll be held at Homebush, where the state championships were held.
Price threw the winning distance with his second throw.
It was 7m better than his nearest rival and just 2m off his personal best.
He’ll be looking to go one better at the nationals this year after picking up silver last year.
“I recently beat the guy who won the gold last year when we competed in December, so I’m going into this with plenty of confidence knowing that winning gold is a realistic possibility and I’m also hoping I can better my current personal best,” Price said.
The NIAS Gunnedah Services and Bowling Club Lonestar athlete has also qualified for the nationals in the discus.
He finished eighth at the state titles but wasn’t far off a medal.
His third throw on distance would have got him bronze but he just stepped out of the circle.
He also competed in the shot put, coming in eighth.
The weekend before the state champs he was part of a strong Tamworth team that competed – and one a swag of medals – at the Regional (1) Championships in Lismore.
Price was among the medal winners, winning the U15s discus, picking up silver in the shot put and bronze in the javelin and 100m hurdles.
Kate Pianta also had a good carnival, bringing home gold in the U13s girls’ 100m and 200m and long jump and silver in the high jump.
Emma Klasen did the sprint double in the U12 girls, while Sofie Langenbaker was first in the U15 girls’ shot put and discus and Mitchell Henderson likewise in the U11 boys’ 60m hurdles and discus.
The senior boys’ relay team also got on the podium, with the team of Cameron Kitching, Ryan Schmiedel, Geordie Goff and John Moore coming third.
For Moore, the relay bronze took his tally to four after winning the U17s 110m hurdles, placing second in the triple jump and third in the 200m hurdles.
Ben Chick in the U9s also won a complete set, winning the 70m, finishing second in the 200m and third in the 100m.
Amory Merrick (U14 girls’ javelin), Jack Klasen (U8 boys’ 70m), Bridie Martin (U12 girls’ 400m) and Tyrah Hewitt (U13 girls’ high jump) also won gold, with Hewitt also coming in third in the 100m and Martin third in the 200m.
Georgia Horniman – U10 girls’ 200m and 60m hurdles (both bronze), Sarah Gill - U11 girls’ 400m (silver), Miriam Barbara - U9 girls’ 800m (bronze), Melanie Young - U12 girls’ 60m hurdles (silver) and javelin (bronze), Emma Higgins - U13 girls’ shot put (silver), Hannah McPherson - U14 girls’ shot put (bronze), Jackson Swalwell - U9 boys’ 70m, 200m and 60m hurdles (all bronze), Schmiedel - U14 boys’ 90m hurdles (silver), 100m (bronze), Kitching - U13 boys’ 1500m (silver), 800m (bronze), Jackson Styles - U13 boys’ triple jump (silver) and Lachlan Nihell - U13 boys’ discus (silver) also picked up medals.
Chick, Schmiedel, Kitching, Henderson, Price, Moore, Styles, Nihell, Martin, (Emma) Klasen, Pianta, Hewitt, Gill, Young, Higgins, Langenbaker and Merrick’s efforts also saw them qualify to compete in the State Championships at Homebush from March 21-23.
